


Warmth

by debwalsh



Series: Bingo-Bingo [25]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Meetings, Huddling For Warmth, M/M, Meet-Ugly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-10 01:36:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20519819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/debwalsh/pseuds/debwalsh
Summary: When Bucky Barnes receives the report that there is a guy lost on his mountain, he’s not prepared for the complications that ensue.Written for BethOfAus, this fills the Huddling for Warmth square of my Stucky Bingo 2019 card!





	Warmth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BethofAus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BethofAus/gifts).

> You guys know that I love prompts, and I especially love trying to come up with new spins on them. This was incredible fun to write, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it!

Bucky hated day trippers.They ignored posted signs, never doubted their impossible stamina, and unfailingly got their totally unprepared and ungrateful asses lost off trail and on Bucky’s mountain. And it was his fucking thankless job to find said ungrateful asses, haul them out of whatever hole they’d fallen into, and drag them back down the mountain to the civilization Bucky had climbed the mountain to avoid.

Oh, and that blizzard bearing down from Canada? That was just icing, the fucking cherry on the goddamned top.

And of course, nobody bothered to report the punk missing until it was nearly dark.

So much for snuggling in for the night with a good book and a mug of his Ma’s famous hot chocolate.

Even worse, once he finds this superhero, conditions just aren’t optimal for trekking down the mountain.

House guests.Worst fucking pests on the planet.

&&&

Steve shifted slightly in the blind where he lay, the telephoto lens on his camera resting gently on his forearm as he breathed shallowly, waiting.He’d made a space for himself in the lee side just below the tree line.Between his thermals, the sub-zero blanket on top, the arctic-grade sleeping bag belo, and the protected space in which he lay, he was actually pretty comfortable.

He’d been waiting for over two hours, betting that the sheltered area would attract animals looking for forage in advance of the storm, and he’d been right.He’d caught some great images, but he was sure there was more to come, if only he could be patient.

And so he waited, convinced he’d have time to pack out before the worst hit.

&&&

Bucky had to admit that the creation of the cell phone was both a curse - most of the time - and a blessing - like now.Lost Dude might have turned off his phone, but the GPS was still operational, which gave Bucky a direction to head and a destination to reach.He secured his rescue gear, short skis, shovel, andon the Ski-Doo, shrugged on his pack and settled his second shovel so it wouldn’t hit his ass, and made sure his helmet and goggles were in place.Casting a wistful glance back at his warm, dry, private cabin, he sighed and mounted the snowmobile, felt it rumble to life beneath him, and set off toward where his GPS told him The idiot snow baby had lost his damned self.

&&&

She was beautiful.Sleek, shimmering, silent.As he took photo after photo, Steve felt happiness bubble up in him.The stillness, the cold, the cramp in far too many parts of his body ... all were worth it, to get to see this incredible wolf on the hunt.He knew that one or more of the lovely creatures he’d seen would soon meet its end in those powerful jaws, but he also recognized it for nature’s way.The wolf could not be anything but herself. 

And ... there!She’d caught the scent, and her whole demeanor changed in an instant.Steve held his breath, letting the camera take rapid fire photos as she hunkered down then leapt into the air, taking down her prey easily.Then she tossed it up in the air joyously, bounding after it to catch it in her jaws again, blood spattering into the snow that fell with greater intensity.

And in the space of a breath, she was gone, carrying her dinner with her.

For the first time since that morning, Steve allowed himself to relax, and started to focus on getting the blood flow going to his limbs that had been still for far too long.He started to lift himself up, breaking up the snow that had mounded above him, when he felt the rumble beneath his body.

Not an avalanche.Not seismic.

Shit.

Snowmobile.

Fuck you, Clint.

&&&

Well, that was something you didn’t see every day.

Bucky banked the Ski-Doo as he came into the clearing, and thankfully coasted to a stop before he crashed the damned thing as an actual fucking god rose from the snow.

Like, an old god.The smite you or fuck you kind.Tall, broad shouldered, bearded, and surprisingly not snow-encrusted or frostbitten.Or frightened, hurt, or otherwise lost looking.

He shrugged off a silver thermal blanket and it cascaded back down in a rain of snow into the burrow he’d risen from, as he pulled off a knitted cap and shook out his hair.

And boy howdy, if that didn’t do things to Bucky’s nethers.He really needed to get offa his mountain more often.

Ah.High-end camera with industrial telephoto lens.Cold weather gear.Thermal blanket.Sleeping bag.Burrow.So not a city boy who’d never seen a tree before.

Wait til he had words with Dispatch.

But in the meantime ... God.He knew what he’d like his godship to do to him. 

For now, he’d settle for getting the pair of them out of the path of the storm before Mother Nature opted for the beat down.

“Need a lift?”

His Godhood looked up at the thickening snowfall, ignorant of how impossibly hot he looked with snowflakes gathering in that beard of his, and grinned.“If it’s not out of your way, sure.”

Oh.Asshole on top of godhood.It was on.

&&&

So none of his rescue gear was needed, so he shucked his pack and shoved it into the tunnel in the Ski-Doo along with the other rescue gear.Then he settled back on the Ski-Doo, his passenger slipping into the space behind him, big arms wrapping around his torso as he did, his lips close to Bucky’s ear as he breathed, “This okay?”

Bucky really wanted to turn in his seat and show his Godliness just how okay it was, but instead he clipped on the chin piece of his helmet and revved the engine.

A dark chuckle shuddered through his ear, down his spine, and right into his dick, so he was pretty sure God of the Snow knew exactly what he was doing.Bucky tamped down the images that flashed through his mind of just what he’d like him to be doing, and focused instead on the track that was fast disappearing into the darkness and snowfall.His passenger offered no further commentary, just offered a wall of warm against Bucky’s back as the snowmobile ate up real estate.

The trip back to the cabin took longer than the outward journey, the landscape changing constantly as the snow fell and the wind blew the drifts into fantastical shapes.Trees loomed large, casting lengthening shadows across the shimmering surfaces.

Finally the terrain felt more familiar, the rise glistening in the moonlight filtering through the trees and snow.

He slowed the Ski-Doo and brought it to a stop a few yards from where snow mounded at his front door.He hopped off and grabbed one of his shovels, making quick work of the snow pushed up against the door to his shed.God-boy got with the program and fished out the other shovel, and started on the front door.Working together, they cleared both entrances, guided the Ski-Doo back into its berth in the shed, and unloaded the emergency packs while his guest shouldered his own stuff.Then Bucky nodded toward his cabin and he led the way in.

Snow God pulled the door close behind him as Bucky trudged into the cabin and flicked on the lights and the heat.He heard the comforting chug-a-chug-a of the generator, then the low hum as it settled back down.

“How long will that last?” his guest asked, and Bucky looked up sharply at the deep voice laced with concern.He was placing his pack carefully on the floor by the door, kneeling in front of it to rummage in it.

“This is where I live year-round.There’s more than enough fuel for tonight.”

“Kinda remote, isn’t it?”

“I like it that way.Now, you wanna tell me what you’re doing on my mountain?”

“My partner dropped me off above the tree line so I could hike in.” He hefted his camera out of the pack.“Got some great shots.”

“You got lost on my mountain for some pretty pictures?”

“Wasn’t lost.And didn’t need help.I was planning to camp overnight and hike out in the morning.”

“Camp overnight.In a fucking blizzard.”

“Well, I might have missed the latest weather report.But my gear is rated for Arctic conditions, so I woulda been okay.Why’d you come for me?”

“Park service got a report you were missing.”

“Yeah, that’d be my asshole partner, Clint.He likes to pull my chain.”

“So you weren’t missing.”

“I knew where I was.And clearly you could find me.”

“GPS.Might make sure he gets fined for false report.Well, you’re here,” Bucky added with a weary sigh.“Guess you’re hungry.”

“I could eat.I was tryin’ not to move the last few hours so I wouldn’t spook the wildlife.But I did pack food,” he added, pulling a series of sealed containers out of his pack.“Care to share some minestrone?”

Bucky looked up sharply at that.“Tell me it’s from Mama Gambone’s, and I’m yours for life.”

“Don’t know what I’d do with my very own - what are you, anyway?”

“Ranger.”

“Okay, my very own ranger.But yeah, Mama Gambone’s.Provisioned up in town before we flew up here.”He pulled a foil-wrapped loaf out of the pack, and waggled it.“Got some fresh bread, too.”

“Oh, well fuck.In that case, I’m gonna have to marry you.”

“Hmm.This expedition is getting more and more successful,” he chuckled, and stood up, handing over the food canisters and bread. 

Their fingers brushed as Bucky took the food from him, and Bucky felt a tingle of electricity at the contact.“Well, if we’re gonna get married, maybe you should tell me your name.Can’tkeep thinking of you as the Asshole Who Doesn’t Know When to Get Out of the Snow, now can I?” Bucky asked as he walked the provisions into the kitchen space, which was just a few feet from the living space.He lived alone, he didn’t need a mansion.

“Look like shit on a marriage license, that’s for sure.And I do know when to get out of the snow.I was getting ready to set up camp when you found me.”

“And the name?” Bucky prompted again, turning back to look at him expectantly.

“Steve.Steve Rogers,” he answered with a smile, and crossed the space between them in two large strides, his hand outstretched.

Bucky took it and frowned.“Steve Rogers?I know that name - you’re that photographer guy -“

Steve chuckled and turned back to arch an eyebrow at his camera.“Guilty as charged. You’ve heard of me?”

“You do good work,” Bucky answered simply.He’d heard of Steve, and seen his work.Hell, he had a copy of one of his books somewhere in the stacks that stuffed his two bookcases and piled up near his bed upstairs in the loft.He was an award-winning nature photographer who specialized in endangered species and compromised habitats.

“Thanks.I’m serious, though.I didn’t mean to put anyone out -“

“Shit, I better alert Base I’ve got you.I can take you down the mountain after the storm.”

“Thanks.This is definitely nicer than riding out the storm out there.I’m gonna miss some great shots in the morning, though.I don’t suppose I could impose on you ...?”

“Let’s report in first.Then eat.We can talk logistics later.”

“Yeah, sure.But hey, aren’t you forgetting something?”

“What?”

“I gave you mine, how about you give me yours?”At Bucky’s confused look, Steve elaborated, “Name?”

“Oh!Barnes.Bucky Barnes.”

“Bucky?”

“Nickname.Middle name’s Buchanan.Too many Jameses in the family, so I got stuck with that when I was five.Never really learned to answer to anything else.”

“Okay.Bucky it is.”

&&&

Steve’s partner Clint Barton was still at Base, and both Steve and Bucky had to laugh when his counterpart at the station, Natasha Romanoff, gave Clint a ration of shit for lodging a false missing person’s report.Clint protested that the storm coming in could have buried Steve under a ton of snow, and while that wasn’t strictly true, everyone agreed that Steve was better off bunking in with Bucky than riding the storm out in a tent, even one rated for Arctic conditions.

Their civic duty completed, the two men set about cobbling together a meal from Bucky’s supplies and the provisions Steve had brought in with him.Bucky even cracked out some of his special brew, a hard cider he’d fermented from summer apples from trees further down the mountain.Dinner was surprisingly convivial - Steve was a great storyteller, and his work as a photographer took him all over the world, so he had a trove of stories to share.

Bucky had opinions and theories, and he could talk for hours about the flora and fauna of his mountain, the importance of conservation, the idiot survivalists he had to rescue every damned time, and the questionable value of tourists visiting his mountain in the summer.

He couldn’t remember enjoying another human being’s company as much as he enjoyed Steve’s that evening.He was beginning to think he owed this Clint Barton dude a fruit basket or some shit.

The cabin was comfortable, but once they’d eaten, packed away the leftovers, and washed the dishes, Bucky thought it’d be nice to start a fire in the hearth, and set about arranging kindling to get it going, while Steve settled on the old worn couch.

“So what d’you do for entertainment up here?” Steve asked as Bucky blew gently on the embers, then sat back on his heels when the flames caught and started to burn in earnest.

Bucky turned toward Steve from where he crouched in front of the fireplace.“Usually, I can grab at least an LTE signal so I can stream my Netflix or my Crunchyroll.I’m not completely cut off from civilization up here.But in this weather, the radio or a sat phone is probably my best bet, so streaming might not be the best option.Could put something on the DVD player if you want.Why, you bored?”

“No.In fact, this is the nicest evening I’ve spent in far too long,” Steve replied with a wistful smile, his fingers dancing absently along the back of the sofa.

“Yeah, I was thinking this doesn’t suck too much.Once we get past the false missing person report and the fucking blizzard.”

“His heart’s in the right place, even if his head is up his ass.Guarantee you he’s already fallen in love with your partner there.Speaking of which, you and her -“

“I don’t swing that way, actually,” Bucky replied, suddenly feeling his heart pounding in his throat, a pressure headache springing up behind his eyes.“She’s my best friend.Not that it’s any of your business.”

“Oh.Yeah.Thanks for telling me, though,” Steve replied with a smile, and his hand stilled to drop to the seat beside him.“This day keeps getting better and better,” he added, patting the cushion gently.It was an oddly cheesy and yet endearing gesture, probably because Bucky kinda wanted it to be.

Steve looked at him like he was hungrier than ever, his eyes dark and his color rising.It wasn’t just the reflection of the fire on his fair skin - Steve was definitely broadcasting interest.Bucky stood slowly, trying to keep his breathing even and his pulse under control.

Because Bucky?Definitely interested. It didn’t have to mean anything, just some friendly sex between two hot guys trapped on a mountain in a blizzard.As Bucky walked over to where Steve sat, and tipped his face up with his index finger, some small part of him kind of hoped for more.But as he leaned down to press his lips against Steve’s, he told himself he’d take what he could get, and leave the pining for the morning after.

&&&

Steve woke slowly, snuggling into the luxurious warmth, reveling in the soft down comforter, the cushy bed, the gloriously smooth skin of the naked body pressed against his front from nose to toes.He nuzzled gently at the soft skin against his nose, smiling into the long hair that tickled him. 

His expedition on Howling Mountain had already gone far better than expected.His SD card was filled to the brim with gorgeous shots - nature in its many forms, cute, raw, vicious, sweet.He’d gotten to spend the evening with a beautiful man, and he’d been well-fed and well-fucked. When they’d finally exhausted each other, he’d fallen into a restful sleep that had been deeper and more pleasant than any he’d had in a long time.In fact, he’d still be sleeping if it weren’t for the insistent pressure on his bladder.

Groaning softly, he forced himself to unwind his body from Bucky’s, gently sliding his arm out from under the other man, carefully pulling his leg back from where it draped over his hip.Bucky slumbered on, so Steve slid out of bed and tucked the covers back in place so his bedmate wouldn’t get cold.

It was a bit chilly but not too bad when he stood, so he skipped pulling on any clothes to run down the stairs to the bathroom on the main level.

He hadn’t counted on heat rising, the fire going out, or the overall temp in the main level dropping so sharply.By the time he hit the bathroom, he was shivering, and by the time he washed his hands, he was hungrily soaking up heat from the hot water.He grabbed a couple of towels to wrap around himself as he came out of the bathroom.

And that’s when he looked out the window, into the maelstrom swirling just outside, snow falling like solid ribbons caught up in the wind, the light of the full moon fractured and glittering in the storm.

Without thinking, he shuffled to his pack, grabbed his camera and swapped out a new SD card, and moved to the window, drawn to the incredible sight.

He didn’t notice when the towels fell away, leaving him standing there naked, shivering with the cold, yet completely unaware of anything but the world through his viewfinder.

&&&

Bucky woke gradually, stretching under the familiar warmth of his grandma’s handmade quilt and the comforter he ordered from that mail order place in Maine.He snuggled into his pillow and then rolled over to spread eagle the bed.

And woke suddenly, eyes wide.

There’d been someone in his bed when he’d fallen asleep.Someone blond, blue-eyed, a god of a man who made the most beautiful noises as he’d sunk into him, who kissed with single-minded focus, and who’d curled into his arms after as though he were trying to make himself small.Someone who didn’t know enough to come in out of the blizzard -

Bucky was up and tugging on his sweats before he formed a full thought.He shoved his feet into his fuzzy slippers - they were warm and comfy, don’t judge - and then he was catapulting down the stairs into the chill of the main level.

And there he found Steve standing at the window, totally naked, legs apart as he braced that fucking camera of his against his face, finger clicking the shutter periodically.He seemed to be entranced, ensorcelled by the storm that raged beyond the window, even as his body shivered and shook from the cold seeping in through and around the window, up from the floorboards.Bucky could feel it through his sweats - he’d programmed the thermostat to lower the temp to about 60 at night, and bring it up in the morning to a comfortable level, all to conserve fuel.Dawn was hours away still, and he’d planned to sleep in - and fuck - rather than freeze his ass off while his bedmate fell into a snow-induced fugue state.

“Steve,” he prompted gently, his hand hovering over Steve’s shoulder.“Steve, it’s cold.Come back to bed.”

“Hmm?” Steve responded absently, turning slightly to focus at a new angle as the wind shifted out beyond.

“Steve, baby, it’s gonna snow for hours, you can take pictures later -“

“The light won’t be the same,” Steve murmured.“I need to go out -“

“You need to come back to bed.I’m cold without you.Come on, baby, warm me up,” Bucky cajoled. 

And that seemed to get through to Steve, because he turned his face away from the camera then to look at Bucky.“Buck?”

“There you are,” Bucky said softly, reaching up to cradle Steve’s cheek in his palm.“Come on, baby.You’re cold.Lemme warm you up.Put the camera down - the storm’ll be here in the morning, and probably into the next day.There’ll be time for pictures - I’ll take you out on the Doo myself when we’re both properly dressed for the weather.But come back to bed now,” Bucky urged gently, letting his other hand rest briefly on Steve’s shoulder, then slid it across Steve’s arm, tugging downward, pulling the camera away from his face.Steve smiled at Bucky then, allowing the camera to descend until Bucky closed his hand over the telephoto lens.“Let’s put this away, okay?”

“Okay. Sorry.I see the shot, and I ...”

“Lose all sense of self-preservation.Got it.Guess I’m gonna have to look out for you, huh?”

“I’d say that’s Clint’s job, but he’s even worse than I am.”Just then, a full body shiver took over and Bucky quickly took possession of the camera and set it aside.Then he grabbed up the towels that Steve had dropped earlier, and draped them over Steve’s shoulders before he led him back up the stairs to the relative warmth of the bedroom.

He got Steve tucked back in bed, then hurried back downstairs, where he increased the temp, hit the bathroom himself, and then brewed two mugs of his favorite herbal tea blend.When they were ready, he carried them back upstairs to find Steve sitting up, more aware now, and looking strangely at home in Bucky’s bed.Bucky stood at the entrance to the room, holding the mugs and smiling.

“What?” Steve asked with a chuckle.

“Enjoying the view.”

“Yeah?It’s better up close.”

“Yeah, it is,” he agreed, and brought Steve his mug, leaning over to kiss him on the lips as Steve accepted the offering. 

“Ooooh, that feels good,” Steve practically moaned, and Bucky definitely felt that right down to his toes, with a detour to his cock along the way.Steve noticed the transition and smiled hungrily.“I know what else would feel good,” he suggested, waggling his eyebrows theatrically.

“Drink your tea.Need to make sure your core temp is back up,” Bucky replied gruffly as he move around the bed to get in on his side.

“Thought you wanted me to warm you up,” Steve said, taking a sip from his tea.“Mmm, tastes good, too.You really are a great host.”

“You’d be a better guest if you didn’t go wandering around at night without a stitch on.Shoulda told you I lower the temp at night, comes back up around 6 automatically.Feeling better?”

Steve was rolling the mug between his palms, eyes closed as he inhaled the steam.“I can’t believe how lucky I was that you were the ranger on duty.”

“Yeah, about that.”

Steve lifted his head and looked at Bucky expectantly.

“Why’d you pick this mountain?The Park Service has trails on other mountains in the area, why this one?”

“Well, there were reports of some rare species, for one thing.And this is the one we had permission for.It was all cleared -“

“No.It wasn’t.This isn’t a Park Service mountain.It’s private property.”

“No, Clint said he got all the right permits -“

“No, he didn’t.Because I would’ve had to sign off on any permissions.”

“You?I thought you said you were a ranger -“

“I was, for a while.Then I quit.To take care of the family legacy.”At Steve’s confused expression, Bucky answered gently, “I don’t just take care of the mountain.I own it.It’s actually my mountain.Well, with my family.Been in the family for generations.This was my granddad’s cabin, built on the foundation of his granddad’s cabin.”

“You’ve lived here all your life?”

“Grew up in Brooklyn, trained with the Park Service after college.And then when Granddad was getting on, I agreed to take on the trust.Dunno if any of my sisters’ kids‘ll be interested, so I might be the last generation.And then it really will go to the National Trust.But for now, this is still Buchanan land.And you, Steve Rogers, were trespassing.”

“Clint swore he had all the paperwork in order.”

“You don’t just land on the wrong mountain.”

“You don’t know Clint.”

“So Clint took care of all the arrangements.With Nat?”

“I guess so.”

“Does Clint try to set you up?”

“You mean on dates?All the time.He’s got the worst taste in men, lemme tell you. You’d never know he was one by the assholes he picks out for me.Why?”

“Nat’s always trying to pair me off.Or at least get me laid.But mostly she wants me to find a partner.It’s annoying.Endearing, but annoying.She has terrible taste in men, too.Your buddy Clint sounds exactly like the kinda guy she’d - oh no.”

“What?”

“This is a blind date.”

“Say what?”

“Nat’s the point of contact for this whole section of the range.Clint would’ve had to go through her for any paperwork.What if the two of them -“

“Conspired to get us together?” Steve finished, his voice spiking at the end.

“Because they’re together.”

“That’s a leap.”

“Think back to our call.They sounded pretty old married couply to me.”

“Yeah, they did, now you mention it.So what does that mean?I think we’re pretty damned compatible.Does the fact that they both have shit taste in men cancel each other out and make us pretty perfect for each other?”

“You travel.I live on a mountain.I wouldn’t say that’s perfect.”

“I’ve been looking for a base of operations, a place to settle.Not a city, but somewhere I can do more concentrated studies of rare and endangered species in their habitat.This would be kind of perfect.”

“So Nat and Clint -“

“Get us together, and Clint doesn’t have to travel anymore either.”

“It’s diabolical.”

“It could be the answer to my prayers at least.I know I’m getting ahead of myself - we’ve barely met. But I have a good feeling about us.And you ...?”

“I think we need to test the hypothesis more.You done with your tea? ‘Cos I promised I’d warm you up, and I’d like to get to cuddling.”

“Just cuddling?”

“Don’t underestimate the power of cuddling.But if something else comes up, I’m not averse toadding to the test protocol.”

“Scientific method.Good idea.”

“Let’s see if the results are repeatable.”

“Oh, let’s.”

Each of them settled their mugs on their respective bedside tables, and Bucky flicked off the light, leaving the bedroom bathed in moonlight punctuated by the shadows of falling snow.They snuggled down in the bed, reached for each other, and managed to repeat the previous results of the evening several times before they fell asleep again.

&&&

“The eastern exposure gets great light throughout the day - it’s perfect for a studio.”

“Okay, yeah.And my darkroom can go here, where there’s no exterior wall.”

“Then I want the infirmary on the other side of the extension - no offense, but I don’t want any of our patients getting exposed to any chemicals.”

“None taken.Let’s do a separate entrance at that end, just to make sure.”

Bucky nodded, tapping his marker against the plans, then made a notation up in the corner.Then he settled back in his seat to admire the results.

Steve paused to admire Bucky.

“Are you sure about this, Buck?This extension - it more than quadruples the size of your place.Three new wings, a courtyard in the middle, new solar panels, gray water irrigation ...”

“I got a whole fucking mountain.What we’ve got here ... it’s self-sustaining, multipurpose, and it doesn’t interfere with my view in the morning.”

“You leave the curtains drawn most nights.”

“I’m talkin’ about you, punk.”

Steve leaned over and pecked Bucky on the lips.Outside the cabin, winter had melted into spring, and with it a whole new view into the ecosystem of the mountain.Steve had changed from an unwelcome interloper to an overnight guest, to a partner in all senses of the word.He was funding the expansion of Bucky’s cabin into a full fledged home and nature sanctuary, two things Bucky had thought about over the years, but hadn’t had the will to make real.Steve, on the other hand, had not only the will, but the cash.And his publisher was on board with the idea of a book about life on a single mountain.It was something Steve could potentially expand into a series by working through the range, the valleys, and beyond.But always within a radius so he could come home at night.Home to Buck.

“Course ...” Bucky started, his voice thoughtful, almost worried.

“What?”

“We make this too welcoming, I could end up with visitors,” he shuddered.

“You don’t mean?”

“Yeah.Relatives.”

“I thought you owned the mountain.”

“I do. I met the requirement of the codicil.It’s mine free and clear now.Plus, no one else wanted it. They’re just as happy to let me deal with it - not like it generates any real income or anything.I just can’t sell it, or allow any kind of commercial development.Expanding our home is fine.But the cabin was always too small for anyone to wanna stay more than a day or two.Apparently my siblings think I’m grumpy. And my Dad complains the altitude bothers his sinuses.And Ma ... well, maybe she won’t complain so much anymore.”

“Oh?”

“She was always worried about me being up on the mountain alone.”

“That’s nice.That she worries.But maybe we should invite them all for a visit.Maybe ... late August.After the construction is done, before the weather starts to change.Nat and Clint, too.”

“We’ll have to expand a heckuva lot more to accommodate all of ‘em!Besides, Nat and Clint live down in the valley - they don’t need to come over for a sleepover, baby.”

“No, and the fam can stay at Albertson’s B&B.After all, we wouldn’t want them bunking in with us for our wedding night.”

Bucky had gone back to studying the plans, and didn’t register Steve’s words for a few seconds.Just long enough for Steve to pull the little velvet box out of his pocket, snap it open, and lay it on top of the plans for their home expansion.

Bucky reached for the box slowly, as if someone had turned on the slo-mo on this most important moment of Steve’s life.

“Wedding night.”

“Yeah.If you’ll have me.”

“Always said I was gonna have to marry you.August is as good a time as any.”

“Why, Buck!You romantic, you.”

Bucky leaned over and kissed Steve gently, wrapping his arms around Steve’s torso.Then he settled into a hug, resting his ear against Steve’s heart. “Who needs romance when I got you to keep me warm?”

Steve smiled as he circled Bucky’s shoulders with his arms, and dropped a kiss to the crown of his head.“Who indeed?” he asked softly, relaxing into the embrace, content to hold and be held, and look forward to the many years to come cuddling with this man - for warmth, for love, forever.

END 

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, more cuddling than huddling, but hey, it’s Steve and Bucky after all!


End file.
